Tracking the Old and Meeting the New: College Track Meets

In high school, I was super involved with my cross-country and track and field teams, and that’s how I met some of my best friends. Suffering through long practices every day is a great way to bond with people, so that’s why I was so excited to hear that a couple of my old teammates were coming to race at USC. Two of my former teammates compete for UCLA in the 3000m steeplechase, so I decided to surprise them at their track meet here on campus against USC.

Turns out, Bruins and Trojans can get along

I took a break from studying for finals to watch them and dragged along two of my friends. It ended up being an amazing experience where we met USC Alumni and relieved pent-up stress from finals. Not only did my friends finish first and second in their race, but we also had a great conversation with the men sitting in front of us. They told us that they competed for the USC Track team 50 years ago and talked all about their all-star relay team that set a world record (and featured OJ Simpson). They advised us to make the most of our college experiences as they recounted their own and showed us the lifelong pride that comes with being a Trojan.

After getting ready to leave the track, I met up with my friends to catch up on life, talked to their parents about my first year in college, and found my old high school coach in the bleachers. In their company, I felt like my old high school self again, but with a new sense of maturity and unique experiences. This meet was a great reminder to stay in tune with important, old relationships while staying open to new conversations and friendships. I got to bond with USC Alumni over our links to the school and love for the sport, and I was able to check in with old friends, all while getting out of studying and watching some quality competition. At the end of the day, our women’s team defeated the Bruins, but our men’s team fell just a little bit short. I blame my friends for running so well.